Jane Jensen's spooky private eye is back for another round of supernatural mystery in Gabriel Knight 3: Blood of the Sacred, Blood of the Damned. This instalment offers greater challenge and interactivity, with a fantastic 3-D engine designed specifically for the game. Each scene offers multiple vantage points and may or may not bring you another step closer to solving the game's ultimate mystery. Play as Gabriel or his assistant, Grace, as they race against time to locate the young kidnapped son of a dethroned prince in the small French town of Rennes-le-Chateau. The backdrop is used to heighten the tension and add detail to the story, for just over 100 years ago bizarre real-world happenings enriched the parish church and may have led to the local priest's untimely demise. The game offers a great balance of puzzles and investigative problem solving, often shifting from one to the other between scenes. Only rarely are hints offered, so if you get stuck, you may have to do some real-life investigation to track down other players who have published online help but you shouldn't have to be an enlightened master to make it through the game. For the most part, persistence pays off and the lush visuals and outstanding voice talent should help ease the sting of frustration enough to keep you going through the rough spots. Gabriel Knight 3 appeals to the eye, ear and mind as well as the sense of the macabre--pick it up before the conspiracy hears about it! --Rob Lightner